


A Spider Is Born

by QuantumMeganics



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 00:28:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8034976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuantumMeganics/pseuds/QuantumMeganics
Summary: This is based off a small idea I suddenly had the other day about how Talon turned Amélie into Widowmaker. It may contain themes that make people uncomfortable. Eventual Widowtracer.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a cool spring evening with the sun starting to slowly slip below the skyline of Annecy. A soft breeze rustled the trees that lined the boulevard of the bustling street, making the leaves dance along the sidewalk. A chorus of laughter erupted from a group of teens that was situated in front of a small shopping centre.   
“Pardon.” A polite yet firm voice stated. “Excusez-moi s’il vous plaît” Amélie stood patiently. Standing at just under 6 foot tall, Amélie was by no means a push over but her gentle nature often made it seem that way.  
The still chuckling teens shuffled out of the way.  
The echo of clicking heels travel into the shopping centre and into the supermarket. She needed some ingredients for tonight’s dinner. It was Gerard’s favourite, Coq au Vin. There were two main things on her mind; Red wine and mushrooms.   
Amélie walked lazily down the aisles picking up items that took her fancy when she came to a stop in front of the wine selection. After mulling it over for a while in her head she grabbed two bottles and put them in the basket.  
“One for me, one for dinner.” She chuckled as she walked to the check out. Feeling a vibration in her pocket she pulled out her communicator.  
“Salut d’amour.” A smile slowly spread across her face. It was Gerard.  
“Hello love. How are things?” Soft but distracted. The clacking of a keyboard filled the small silence in the background.  
“Things are well, I’ve just picked up some things for dinner. You’re going to love it.” Her eyes wandered to the people around her. A young mother unloading her trolley whilst trying to keep an unruly child by her side. The teens outside were gone and were replaced by some older gentlemen talking about business. The sun had set and the last remnants of a pink-tinged sky were starting to fade.  
“I think I like where this is going. I will probably be home around the normal time. I’m just trying to figure out some things at the moment.” Gerard’s voice snapped her out of her gaze. She knew that Overwatch had been busy as of late. A rebel group by the name of Talon had been stirring up conflict all over the globe. She focused back on Gerard.  
“I think you will like where this is going. But you’re just going to have to wait to find out. I will see you soon. Au revoir.” Coy but to the point.   
Amélie proceeded to the check out and greeted the cashier with a friendly smile. Dusk had set in by the time she left. Groceries in one hand and keys in the other she started on her journey back to her vehicle. The streets were quiet, only a handful of people remained on the boulevard. It was fairly normal for a week night. What Amélie had failed to notice was the man that silently materialised behind her.

Amélie Lecroix would not make it home.


	2. Chapter 2

When Amélie awoke she noticed three things. She was naked, she couldn't move and her head was pounding. All she could taste was the dull metallic taste of blood and the of feel her chapped dry lips try to move. She could only breathe through her mouth, her nose was congested and crusty with either blood or mucus.

She tried to pull her head up but it wasn't happening. It was restrained. She felt like she had basically been strapped to a slab. The surface below her was cold and hard but it wasn't stone. Her head felt separated from the rest of the surface, like it was resting on something different.

"Merde." The words barely escaped her mouth. Her throat ached, she was hoarse. "It feels like I've been screaming. Have I been screaming?" The thought ran wild through her mind. It hurt to even think.

She tried to look down at the rest of her body but couldn't see well enough below her breasts.

"Why am I naked? What have they done with me? Have they been assaulting me?"

The thoughts made her sick.

She tried to move her arms. No go, there were two straps holding her down. One for her wrist and one for her bicep. The surface had been cut to make this possible.

Her legs. No go, there were four individual straps for each leg.

Roll over. It wasn't going to happen anyway but there was a strap holding her waist down.

Amélie sighed in frustration. The room was dark. Purposely dark.

She spotted dimly lit lights running up the sides of the ceiling and a large light directly in front of her.

Gingerly moving her head to the left she spotted some equipment that she didn't recognise. It all looked new with keyboards and monitors integrated. She gingerly turned her head the other way and noticed that there was a machine close to her with electrodes connected to it. This machine had a separate monitor, keyboard and knobs.

Frightened she again tried to wiggle out of her restraints. The surface beneath her had rubbed and chaffed her buttocks and back. She let out a cry of pain. The skin was rubbed raw and she had begun to bleed.

"Oh good, I'm glad you're awake." The voice stopped her cold. She couldn't see who was there but somebody was definitely there. "Was it male? It was definitely male."

It had sent chills down her spine, the voice was calm but it was not warm. It was detached and disinterested as if separated from existence itself.

"Where am I? Who are you?!" Her voice broke.

The man chuckled.

"Are we going to go through this again? The treatment must be working. Do you still know who you are?" So slimly, so condescending.

"What do you mean again? What do you mean 'do I still know who I am?' Why wouldn't I know? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?"

Now she remembers why she was screaming. Now she remembers why she is hoarse. Only fragments of memories came back to her and it was nothing that made any sense. Flashes of light, crying, sharp hissing and that's all she could grasp.

"If you are going to kill me then just do it! You won't get any information from me." She spat the words as hard she could. It hurt so much to speak but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

Laughter could be heard echo around the room.

"Oh no, we're not going to kill you. That'd be too easy. We're going to use you."

Amélie heard footsteps approach her but still she couldn't see anyone nearby.

"We're just making some adjustments remember? You're going to kill Gérard." He was firm this time. Firm and arrogant, as if he knew how things were going to play out.

"No! I love him. I will never do it!" Defiance had finally broken through into her voice. She didn't care if it made her throat bleed. She wasn't going to let this happen.

"You will do what we ask." Amélie had obviously struck a nerve. His voice sharp like it was trying to pierce into her mind.

"People will be looking for me. It must have been days now. They will find me." Defiance was gone as soon as it had arrived. Desperation had taken over this time. "They have to find me." Her mind was racing. She felt a hard tug at the back of her head, making it impossible for her to move. She still couldn't see anyone. "Are there more than one person in this room. What is going on?"

More footsteps surrounded her, fast footsteps, urgent footsteps. The straps around her arms, legs and waist were pulled uncomfortably tight. There was so much pressure that it was hard to breathe. Amélie could see a flurry of movement out of the corner of her eyes but again no faces, no figures. The room grew louder with a start-up hum of the machines she had spotted earlier.

Black hands appeared out of nowhere and slapped the electrodes on her head. Two on her temples, one on her forehead and one on her chin. She felt a sharp stab behind both of her ears that made her scream out in pain.

Rapid clacking and the energising of further equipment made her heart rate quicken.

"They won't find you until we are ready for them to find you."


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of a woman gently humming stirred Amélie once more. The tune was upbeat and happy as the woman bustled around the room shifting a glass and scribbling some notes. Amélie opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. The room was painted with bright crème walls and decorated with artistic paintings where one would usually think windows would be. It was the standard size of a bedroom although there was no carpet. A white sheen linoleum lined the floor only adding to how bright the room was. There was a wooden wardrobe directly across from her that had three drawers and a small mirror embedded within the ensemble. Amélie sat up and stretched, she was in a single bed that had been made with hospital grade white sheet with a black and blue patterned throw quilt over the top. Next to her was a simple wooden night stand that held a lamp and a small glass of water. Over in the corner to her right was a small round table and two chairs.

Her eyes shifted to the woman that was still writing notes into a piece of paper on a clipboard. Her head was tilted down which was daring the reading glasses she had on the crook of her nose to slip off her delicate face. She was petite and couldn't have been more than 5 foot 2 inches. Her long red hair was tied back into a strict pony tail. She was wearing a white coat that was thrown over a purple button up dress shirt and black dress pants.

Amélie looked down at herself, first at her hands and then at her arms. She didn't know what she was expecting, everything was normal and in order.

"And why wouldn't it be?" She shrugged at the thought.

The thing that confused her the most was that she was wearing a hospital gown in a place she didn't recognise. She didn't have much time to dwell on it as the woman interrupted her silent pondering.

"Amélie! Hello, how are you feeling? Confused I suppose." The woman made her way towards her while dragging over a chair to sit next to the bed. As she sat down she smiled at Amélie with confidence. Her blue eyes were curious as she pushed her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose. Amélie could only stare at the woman, no words could formulate their way into a sentence.

"You don't remember me do you? That's alright you've had a rough five days. I'm Doctor Jane Carswell, one of Talon's top medical staff. Would you like some water?" She gently picked up the glass and held it out to Amélie.

Amélie gingerly took the glass with hesitation and took a small sip. The water was cold and refreshing. She couldn't remember the last time she had anything to drink. She couldn't remember a lot of things at all. It was as if she couldn't recall a single detail of her life other than her name.

"I'm sorry, you are correct. Did you say you were from Talon?" Amélie grasped the glass of water with two hands as if it were somehow keeping her grounded.

"That is not surprising, you had just been in an accident when we rescued you from your husband. Does that ring a bell?" The Doctor leaned back in her seat.

Amélie shook her head. The accident would probably explain why she was wearing a hospital gown.

"I have a husband?" She couldn't comprehend the fact that she had a husband and not remember.

"Yes, Gérard Lacroix." The Doctor shuffled through some papers and pulled out a photocopy of a photo of them together.

The photo sparked images in her head. Moving in together, the honeymoon, vacations, as well as the conflicts but it sparked something else in her too. As if the image had flicked a switch, other fragments filled her mind. Fragments that made Amélie desire to end his life. And just like that the neural reconditioning had been completed.

"What has he done?" It's all the words she could get out.

"He works for a terrorist group called Overwatch. They have killed a lot of people Amélie. Innocent men, women and children. Personnel from armed forces, police and paramedics and our own personnel." The room went silent and Amélie took another sip of water as Doctor Carswell pulled out several photos with all different people in them. The only thing that never changed was that Amélie was in all of them.

"You saved me from them?" It was all too much to take in.

"Yes. We can see that you have potential to be someone unrivalled in our battle to stop Overwatch from killing more innocents. You can change it all Amélie." The Doctor was scribbling some more notes while Amélie connected the dots in her head. It all made sense in her mind, the conflicts and the unrest the world was facing. Overwatch had been at the point of every single one of those events.

Amélie nodded slowly and made eye contact with the Doctor who was looking at her curiously.

"So what happens now? I think I know what you need me to do." Amélie set the glass back onto the nightstand. The Doctor beamed at her once more.

"I will let the Commander know that you are ready and he will fill you in on all the details." The woman stood up and walked to the door way.

"Your clothes that you were wearing when we rescued you have been washed and ironed. They will be in the wardrobe. Please make yourself comfortable."

And with that she left gently closing the door behind her which locked with an audible click.

Amélie was admiring one of the paintings on the wall when the door opened behind her. She turned slowly on her heel to see a man of about the same height looking at her. At least she thought he was looking at her. His head was covered by full face ballistics mask. He was dressed in black military style uniform consisting of an armoured shirt with an insignia on his right shoulder. He was wearing tactical pants and kitted with combat boots.

"You must be the Commander." She noted that his stance hadn't changed since he had entered the room.

"Yes. Take a seat Amélie." The voice was calm but not warm, she couldn't place her finger on where she had heard it before. "Maybe he was the one who rescued me?"

She sat in the chair that Doctor Carswell had left by her bed while the Commander continued to stand.

"I've heard you've made a good recovery from Doctor Carswell. I'm very happy to hear that." There was a beat of silence.

"She seems nice." Amélie didn't really know what to say.

"You told her before you left that you knew what we needed you to do. Do you want to talk a bit more about that?" Amélie saw his head tilt to the side as if he was analysing her. Amélie smirked, part of her knew this conversation was coming.

"When the Doctor was telling me about Gérard and about Overwatch. I experienced something that I have never felt before. I wanted… want to kill him, I want him to suffer like all the people he has had a part of killing." She was confident and unwavering. Her shoes slowly scuffing at the linoleum floor.

"I see. I think the question that remains is would you be able to do it?" He took a couple of slow deliberate steps towards her. She looked directly up at him. No hesitation and no confusion.

"If that is what Talon needs me to do."

The Commander nodded, he was pleased with her answer. But why wouldn't he be? It was exactly what they had planned for her to do. The intense treatment had obviously gone to plan. The old Amélie Lacroix was gone and had been replaced with something fit for Talon's purposes.

"I'm very glad you are willing to help us Amélie. We have a plan all laid out and ready to go. We will leave how you wish to dispose of Gérard to your discretion. If you are successful, you can return to us and we can undertake the next step in your training if you wish to proceed. If you are unsucc-"

Amelie cut in on him. "- I will be successful." It was cold and to the point, anything more was unnecessary.

The Commander nodded and motioned for Amélie to stand.

"Very well, follow me." The Commander turned his back on her.

Amélie stood tall and was sure of two things. She was going to kill Gérard and that thought had never made her feel more alive.


	4. Chapter 4

It was just before dawn when the van pulled up to the kerb of the lightly gravelled road. It was just before dawn and the roads were quiet and the air still. Street lamps still illuminated their paths with a bright white glow and houses lay dormant in the dusk that remained. Amélie stepped out of the van and onto the sidewalk, her heels making a gentle clacking as she turned back around.

"Do you remember the plan?" The calm voice of the Commander asked. Amélie sighed and made a clicked her tongue.

"Yes. Sir." Her breath created steam caused by the chill in the early morning air. A thin covering of frost covered the gardens of the houses surrounding them.

"Repeat it to me one last time Amélie." The Commander wanted to be sure that his new toy would not mess up this opportunity.

"Walk north for about an hour until I am in the busiest part of the city. Wait for Overwatch agents to find me and bring me back to Gérard. Settle in and make him happy. Make everyone think things have gone back to normal. Kill Gérard." She explained it like she had done it before as if it was an everyday thing like going to work.

"You must make everyone believe you Amélie. Or we will never stop Overwatch. You know what to do when you're done." The Commander gestured for the driver to get ready to move.

"It will not be a problem." Amélie took a step back as the Commander shut the van door and she watched as it drove away into the distance.

She started off on her journey to the heart of Annecy. It was so quiet that she could hear the soft lapping of the Thiou River nearby. The air was still as she made her way down the small side streets. Amélie wanted to keep away from the main roads until she was closer to her destination. She could see the sun start to peak its head slowly up over the sky line. Rays of pink and gold were starting to shine its way through the low hanging cloud. Amélie quickened her pace as the general public would be starting to wake up. She had to be in position just before the peak time bustle of students, workers, parents and store owners made their way across the square.

Amélie dropped her head down as several joggers approached her down the footpath. They passed her like normal. Like she was just another woman on the street. "Though that is the idea. Blend in and be normal. Like absolutely nothing has happened."

A small smile made its way across her lips. The chill had disappeared from the air as the sun gently brushed across her cheek, she had been walking for quite a while now. Passing people and cars every now and again. She could see the street she needed to turn on quickly approaching on her right. Her legs were slightly burning from all the walking but it all came down to this moment. "This is it, you know what you need to do."

She heard a few cars approaching from behind her and let them whiz pass before she stepped out into the road, quickly crossing before any further cars could appear. As she finally approached the square she remembered what the Commander had told her.

"Once you are in this area, you are firmly in the public eye. There will be CCTV cameras and people everywhere." The van hit a small bump in the road. "But that is what we want. We want them to find you. Overwatch monitor the cameras usually to find situations they find unsavoury and stop them but we believe that they have been solely trying to find you the last few days. Do you understand?"

Amélie took a breath and rounded the corner into the open square. Of course she understood, she knew what she had to do. Amélie took a quick glance around, she had to be quick about assessing the situation. ""Act normal, keep them happy."." Her mind repeating the words over and over again.

School girls were playing with dolls in the street, giggling and yelling about what job their doll was doing. There were a group of students making their way to the University adjacent to where she was standing. There was also a small fountain in the centre that was bubbling away. There were a few benches scattered around this area for sitting and socialising. Amélie made her way towards the fountain, passing business men that were drinking coffee while they were walking to work. Cars were dropping people off as Amélie crossed the small one way road that lead down the square. There were two elderly men occupying one of the benches to her right. A line of shops and a café were directly in front of her. She turned to look around again, trying her best to create the image that she had no idea where she was and why she was there. The objective was to look lost and without purpose. She stood watching the fountain for a little while, the water glimmering in the sunlight and dancing around the white marble foundation. It had been roughly fifteen minutes that she had been at the square when she looked up again. A man was standing in the distance to her left. He was in plain civilian clothes, blue jeans and a white shirt but Amélie knew by the way he was only looking at her that he was not just a civilian. She stayed where she was staring idly at the cars passing by. He was approaching her and two others had joined him. "Amélie?" He was hesitant. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Amélie Lacroix?" Firmer this time, the frown from his face lifting.

"Oui, and who might you be?" Her eyes glancing over each of them. Two women had joined him when they had made their way over.

"We are all members of Overwatch, Ma'am. We're going to take you to back to our base if that's alright? We've been quite worried about you." The woman to her right spoke up.

"Are you alright Amélie? Have they hurt you?" The man was wearing his frown once more.

"No, I'm fine." She was technically telling the truth. Amélie didn't think they had hurt her.

"We should go. They have gotten Tracer to fly in Dr Ziegler especially for this. I don't want to keep her waiting." The woman to Amélie's left was short and to the point.

With that they set on their way back to Annecy headquarters.

Headquarters was a building practically hiding in plain sight. Set in the industrial side of Annecy, it was grouped in the same area as many different businesses. A steel mill was just down the road and there were many engineering and precision electrical manufacturers around. Any Overwatch operations that took place down here went generally unnoticed or simply ignored. Amélie had never visited headquarters before. Gérard only let her know the basics of what went on down here but it looked like she was about to find out first hand.

Their vehicle passed through the automatically activated security gates. The building wasn't overly large but was multi-storey with a large loading bay out the back. Amélie could see that this was where Tracer's plane was situated and ground crew were conducting maintenance.

They all stepped out the car and shut the doors with a loud bang. A large roller door connecting into the building was open and walking towards them was a man and a woman. Amélie recognised them both immediately, it was Gérard and Angela.

"Amélie!" Gérard started into a run towards her.

"Act normal, keep him happy." Her mind was on repeat as she walked briskly towards him, her arms outstretched.

He embraced her tightly as she put her arms around him.

"Tu me manques, mon amour." He breathed gently into her ear, his embrace starting to get overwhelming for Amélie.

"Je t'aime, aussi." She pulled back gently and gave him a small smile.

"Angela, it's so nice to see you." She turned her head to look at the doctor.

"I'm sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances Amélie. Would you like to come this way? I want to examine you if that's alright?" There was a worried expression peeking through her normally calm complexion.

"Of course, you lead the way." She felt herself give a small nod. "Act normal, keep them happy."

They walked through the wide open area that was filled with various projects that were in progress. Assemblers were busy at work, clattering tools and reaching to grab different pieces of material to try and complete the puzzles they had in front of them. The area had large raised walkways and was a hive of activity. There was panes of glass that overlooked the area which housed another room. There were men and women in this room conversing and gesturing to different projects. Some nodding and others shaking their heads and pointing to their pads of paper.

Gérard grabbed for her hand and she gave his a gentle squeeze as they continued down a narrow corridor to a room on their right.

"Sorry Gérard, I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside." Angela was firm but fair.

"I know the rules Doctor." He seemed unhappy about it nevertheless as Amélie felt his fingers leave hers. She gave him a small wave as she entered the small room. "Act normal, keep them happy."

"Oi! Wait! Is that Amélie?" A short girl appeared at the door way, her big grin and bright eyes had Amélie's attention.

"Nice to see you luv, we were gettin' quite worried about ya!" The girl was radiating energy and happiness.

"Lena! Now is not the time. Don't you have training to be doing anyway? The Slipstream trials are coming up soon." Gérard was visibly frustrated and increasingly so when the woman let out a giggle.

"You tell me big guy, your guys are the ones still working on it." She punched him playfully in the arm.

"Time to go Lena. Take Gérard to grab a coffee." Angela shut the door firmly behind herself.

"Aw rubbish!" The disappointment echoed down the hallway.

Angela gestured for Amélie to take a seat on the edge of the raised hospital bed as the doctor stood in front of her. The doctor checked her pupils, throat, ears and temperature as per normal.

"Can you tell me what happened after you were taken?" Angela was in the middle of taking her blood pressure. "Act normal, keep them happy."

"They kept me in a room all by myself." She took a glance at Angela who was still busy with her arm.

"Did they hurt you?" Amélie felt the pressure increasing around her arm.

"No. They didn't touch me." The pressure decreased and a loud ripping sound was heard.

"I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable but can I please get you to remove your shirt and pants?" Amélie nodded and begun to unbutton her shirt and pants. The doctor took her time examining almost every inch of her body. When she was satisfied Amélie was allowed to put her clothes back on.

"So, did they just let you go?" Angela pulled up a chair.

"No I escaped. They were trying to transport me somewhere and I got away. I thought they were chasing me so I tried to get somewhere there was a lot of people." The doctor's worried expression had returned as she took some notes.

"That must have been very scary for you." Angela's eyes made contact with hers.

"It was, I'm very glad I'm home." She smiled at the doctor. "Act normal, keep them happy."

"So are we." The doctor smiled back.

The door swung open to their warm home and made a small thud as it hit the wall. They had been at headquarters for hours and the sun had set quite some time ago. Gérard gave Amélie a quick kiss on her forehead as she reached forward and flicked the lights on. A smell hit her that she instantly recognised. It was a familiar smell, a homey smell and then she spotted them. Gérard had gotten her flowers. "Act normal, keep them happy."

"You really shouldn't have." The words rolled off her tongue as she put her hand on his chest.

"Anything for you." He turned and flicked the rest of the lights on. Amélie took a quick look around to get her bearing right. It had felt like an eternity since she had set foot in here.

"I think I might go have a shower." She stared up at him as his lips brushed against hers and the soft stubble on his cheek grazed against her face.

"Alright chérie."

She left him standing there as she walked upstairs to their bedroom. She grabbed a shirt and a fresh pair of underpants and stepped into the bathroom. She turned on the taps and quickly got undressed, closing the door gently behind her. Her reflection caught her surprise in the mirror. For a woman who was gone for five days, there was no indication that this was the case. Amélie took a cautious step into the shower and slid the door closed.

She let he water run over her face and down her back, leaving a scalding trail wherever it fell. She had forgotten how good it felt. Steam quickly filled the room as she soaped up herself and leaned back into the water.

She sighed as she turned off the tap and got out dry herself. She gave her hair a quick towel off before she dressed herself and joined Gérard in bed.

He pulled her quickly into his arms, every now and again caressing the small of her back and gently kissing her neck.

His hands were cool against her skin as he rubbed delicately up and down her spine and lightly trailing them across her stomach.

"I really thought I had lost you."

Amélie hummed in reply as Gérard gently pulled her face to his. His hungry lips seeking out hers and his tongue demanding her attention. His hands made themselves busy, slowly taking off her shirt to reveal her breasts before him. His hand travelled once more from the base of her stomach to the small gap between her chest and up to her neck. Moving to her hips he gently removed her panties, revealing her slick lips. But Amélie felt nothing.

When Gérard cupped her soft breasts in his hands and rubbed his thumbs lightly over her erect nipples, she felt nothing.

As she firmly grasped his arousal and started to slowly stroke him until his groans we audible in her ear and pre-cum had helped lubricate his shaft, she felt nothing.

When he slowly felt her heat and moisture radiating from her between her legs, his fingers slowly rubbing her swollen clit. She felt nothing.

As her slowly slipped his length inside her and left scorching kisses up and down her neck, his teeth nipping every now and again, she felt nothing.

When she could hear his ragged breathing as he moved desperately inside her, her fingers digging into his back as he moved, she felt nothing.

When he came suddenly and held onto her hips tightly, trying to get as deep into her as possible, she felt nothing.

Gérard held her for a long time afterwards, gently kissing the top of her head as his erection slowly started to ebb away. He fell asleep shortly thereafter while Amélie laid awake as the cum had slowly started to make its way out of her and onto the sheets.

But Amélie felt nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

The next couple of weeks dragged by painfully slowly for Amélie but she knew how to be patient. Ever since she had returned to Gérard she was forced to be babysat at all times. Gérard was being overly protective and anxious that Talon would return to kidnap her once more, little did he know that he should be more worried about himself. Alas wherever she went she was accompanied by an Overwatch agent. Amélie got to know some of them quite well, along with meeting agents that she had never known about. Gérard placed Tracer on this duty many times, probably to get the young woman out of his hair. Amélie learned a lot about the twenty one year old aspiring pilot mainly because she could never keep quiet. When she wasn't babbling on about the new Slipstream project that was behind schedule she was asking her silly questions like "why did she think the sky was blue?" or "How did they really discover cheese?" Amélie didn't really mind Lena's company however, at least she found her interesting.

She got to see Captain Ana Amari who had just stopped in on her way to a training exercise, her daughter Fareeha in tow looking just as stern as her mother. Obviously the Egyptian Army was training her well but of course she did have big shoes to fill. Ana was firm with every interaction she had including Gérard.

"I suppose that is to be expected when you helped form an organisation like Overwatch." Amélie silenced her mind as she saw that Ana was looking directly at her. By reflex, she smiled at the still serious looking woman as a hope that she would take the interaction as it was and would avoid her. Unfortunately it was not meant to be as Captain Amari started to walk smoothly towards her. Taking a deep breath as Ana got within range she figured she should say hello.

"Hello Captain Amari, it's a pleasure to see you. It has been far too long." She extended a hand in a hope to seem genuine.

Her hand was met with the firm grasp of Ana's as the Captain gave a tight-lipped smile back.

"Amélie, good to see you are back in safe hands. You had given us quite a fright dear." Ana's gaze never left hers.

"I should have been more cautious with everything that has been happening lately." The excuse was meek but Ana said nothing. She continued on.

"Are you and Fareeha here to stay?" Amélie already knew the answer but she was making small talk nonetheless.

"No. We are just passing through for now. We are going to travel with Lena and Angela on a brief exercise before heading back home." Amélie turned her attention to Fareeha who was chatting to Doctor Ziegler about what has been happening with the Army.

"That is such a shame that you can't stay longer. I hear Fareeha has been doing very well though. Rising two ranks in just over a year is very impressive. You must be proud, yes?" For once the Captain's eyes drifted from her own.

"She knows that this is not the life I wanted for her. While she is with me she will do nothing more than observe."

Before Amélie had a chance to reply Ana had walked away.

The rest of the day had passed smoothly with Amélie and Gérard bidding farewell to the Captain and her small team.

"You take care of your wife Gérard." It was the final words Ana would speak to Gérard as she got onto the plane. It was more of an order than a suggestion. Lena was checking the last few items of incoming cargo before she too started to descend the stairway of the large plane.

"Hey Amélie, if you ever want to come visit just give me a buzz yeah? I can show you our base in Gibraltar. It's massive!" The woman threw her arms out wide to indicate how big.

Amélie gave a small nod and waved her goodbye.

"Merci Lena."

The stairway ascended and the door automatically snapped shut with a loud bang. The couple took a few steps back as the engines roared to life. Lena saluted out the windows of the cockpit as they started their taxi down the concrete driveway that was turned into a makeshift runway. The plane accelerated to max speed and gained lift off quickly. Amélie was watching the plane disappear into the pink horizon when Gérard got her attention. He softly trailed his fingers up her arms and pulled her into a side hug as they walked back towards the base.

"Shall we call it a day?" He murmured into her ear.

"Oui, I think so." She gave the back of his hand a quick kiss.

Amélie didn't have to wait for too long as Gérard gave his team the run down on what more needed to be done on the Slipstream. He bid them all farewell and Amélie gave a wave to the crew. Little did they know that it would be the last time they would see Gérard alive.

The pair had just arrived home as the deep purple hue of a setting sun radiated through the sky. The house was warm and inviting compared to the cool breeze that was starting to pick up outside. Dark clouds were starting to grow and spread through the darkening sky.

"Looks like we may get some rain." Gérard mused as he bustled around the kitchen, grabbing various vegetables and the chopping board.

Amélie grabbed at the multipurpose remote and turned on the television from where she was standing next to Gérard. Loud gunshots and screaming split the silence as footage was being shown from the news. Overwatch agents and Talon operatives had clashed again in the outskirts of Dorado. The footage showed bloodied civilians and Overwatch retreating carrying injured agents while bodies rest unmoving in the street, ultimately Talon had won the battle. The news reported that one of their senior agents, Gabriel Reyes, had gone missing.

Gérard let out a frustrated sigh and Amélie changed the channel. She turned to face him and tenderly placed her hand to caress his face. His brow was furrowed, his eyes tired and his smile gone. He was defeated.

"We can't keep letting them get away with it. We can't let Talon continue, mon amour." He pulled her close to him and she kissed his lips.

"You're tired ma chérie. Go take a rest while I finish the rest of dinner." She ran a hand through his hair and let it rest behind his neck.

"You're right, I should get some rest. I've been working so hard on this new Slipstream project and now it's almost done. It is going to change the way we deal with groups such as Talon forever." He kissed the top of her head and left to go up to the bedroom.

Amélie picked up the straight edge knife and watched the light glint off its surface. "It is almost time."

She continued to cut the carrots that were on the chopping board and putting the sliced pieces into a saucepan that had oil and garlic sizzling away.

She moved on to potatoes, zucchini and brown onion. She was careful and took her time with each item. She moved on to cutting rashers of bacon and adding that to the mix and chicken stock. Amélie looked at the clock and saw that it had been almost forty five minutes since Gérard had left her to go rest. She turned off the heat to the saucepan.

She picked up the knife and slowly made her way up the stairs and turned to face the bedroom door. It was slightly ajar and she made deliberately cautious steps towards it. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as Gérard's unmoving figure made itself clear. Amélie moved through the doorway making sure not to disturb anything that was on the bedroom floor as she made her way to stand beside Gérard. His chest was rising and falling slowly as the air escaped his slightly open mouth. His expression was peaceful, there was no frown and no hint of worry across his face. She lowered one knee on his right side and brought her other knee down next to his left side so she was straddling his chest. Gérard started to stir and he brought his hands up to lightly touch her ankles. Amélie had been patient for long enough. With one swift movement she plunged the knife down across his throat and pulled swiftly. The reaction was instantaneous as Gérard's eyes flew open in shock. Blood spurted furiously out of the open wound in his throat and down onto the sheets and pillow below his head. His hands gripped tighter around her ankles as he tried to throw her off but Amélie was too fast. She had placed her hands on either side of his head and threw all of her weight down. Gérard's head was forced down and back which exposed the cut to his throat to the air. He gasped and gurgled as the swiftly blood swiftly rushed from throat, his eyes never leaving Amélie's. His breathing was starting to slow and his grip relaxed on her ankles. His face had lost all its colour except for the droplets of blood that had landed on him. Minutes passed and there was no more struggle and there was no more gasping. It was suddenly quiet. His eyes were open but Gérard was no longer there. Blood was still leaking from the gash across his neck but there was no pressure behind the flow. A final rasp of air escaped his blue tinged lips and Amélie knew that she was done. She removed her hands from his head and lent back on her knees. His still warm blood was sticky on her hands. She picked up the knife that she had flung behind her and un-straddled herself from his corpse. Amélie caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection from the window. She was blood spattered from the knees up. Blood was on her face, in her hair and soaked through her shirt. "You know what you have to do now."

She kicked out the window and threw herself out of it. She rolled not as elegantly as she had liked onto the small lawn and took off running into the street.

For the first time in her life she had never felt more alive.


	6. Chapter 6

Five years had passed since that night in Annecy. The night that had kick-started the fall and slow demise of Overwatch. The Overwatch founders were now either dead or missing and the peace that had been in place between Omnics and humans was starting to wear thin. Amélie Lacroix was dead and gone as she had died on the same night as Gérard. Her figure had made her way back to Talon, tired and bloodied but successful in her mission to destroy her husband. Of course she was rewarded with another dose of full neural reconditioning and medical enhancements to stop the rate of blood flow around her body. There was nothing left of the woman she had been for twenty eight years previously. The memories, fears and emotions she had were wiped clean. From that day forward she was known only as one thing; Widowmaker, destroyer of Talon's enemies. Trained excessively in covert operations her weapon of choice became the sniper rifle. The rifle was modified slightly by the Talon weapons team to encompass close combat by adding an automatic machine gun attachment. Widowmaker was conditioned to feel nothing except for when she killed. It made her objective and able to focus on the matter at hand. But in that moment of success she was overcome with euphoria and that feeling was highly addictive. She had killed many times before tonight but tonight was different, tonight was the night she was tasked with assassinating Tekhartha Mondatta. Mondatta was the stronghold of peacekeeping between Omnics and humans. Mondatta had devoted the majority of life to peace and preservation of all life. This in turn had made Mondatta become quite influential since the Omnic Crises. But tonight all of that was going to come to an end and all of this work would slowly fall apart piece by piece.

She stepped out onto the balcony and into Kings Row's skyline. It was nightfall and the surrounding buildings were illuminated by street lamps and lights streaming out of windows. Kings Row was a mixture of old architecture versus new. Many of the original buildings still remained as part of the historical protection initiative. These buildings made for great sniper positions as they had simple flat surfaces mixed with the occasional raised surface or pointed roof awning. The whole setting of tonight's mission was perfect for what she intended to do. Making her way up the side of a small rental business she spotted her first victim, a male guard that was pacing the solid roof top lazily and completely unaware of his surroundings. He ended up walking towards her but he didn't even notice she was there. She swooped in on him and smashed her fist into the side of his head. He let out a grunt before promptly falling to the ground.

The night was overcast and the dark clouds being illuminated by moving spotlights where Mondatta's speech would be taking place. The tall buildings that surrounded Widowmaker made it easy for her to move swiftly across the houses in Kings Row jumping rooftop to rooftop with her grappling hook. When she arrived at her destination there was only one thing standing in the way and that was a very large man holding a machine gun. She fired her grappling hook and it made a crunch as it hit the brick chimney with a loud crunch. This startled him into action as he turned to look towards the hook but she was already making her move. She came in swiftly behind him, wrapping the cable of the grappling hook around his throat and tightened it. She used this to gain leverage and pulled him hard to the ground. She used the end of her sniper rifle to put him to sleep. Unwrapping the guard from her cable she looked out into the mass below.

The crowd was large and rowdy with the noise echoing down the normal quiet street. There were some protestors shouting and booing. The angry waving of sign posts made it clear that some disapproved of the Omnic movement as well. Mondatta stepped into place with the security detail at either side. The light was shining brightly off the metal exterior of the Omnic as Mondatta stepped up to the podium to silence the crowd.

"As if I could have been given an easier target." The words barely escaped as she wrapped the length of cable around her leg and tipped herself off the ledge. She fell with speed before easing into a stop a quarter length down the side of the building. Still hanging she positioned her scope in such a way that she had a clear shot through two windows to the building adjacent her and directly into Mondatta's head.

She had just activated her heat sensor visor when she heard a small buzzing sound and a loud yell from a short woman appearing out of nowhere to her left. A fast spray of bullets left the woman's guns and landed in a hail of fire around Widowmaker.

Widowmaker made a quick descent down the building flipping herself backwards to get some shots in at this new found guest before sending herself flying through a window. The glass shattered but she made her way through uninjured.

"Trying to crash another party luv?" The young woman's accent stopped Widowmaker for a second. The woman seemed familiar but Widowmaker was sure she had never seen her before. Alas the pause was only for to last a moment before the Brit let loose with another case of rounds. Widowmaker flipped herself once more over the railing behind her and launched her grappling hook to the top of the stairwell she was suddenly in. The Brit made the mistake of looking over the edge and Widowmaker seized the opportunity. She used the speed of her ascent to strike the woman on the way past with a kick to face that sent her flying across the floor.

"Not this time chérie." She let out some spray of her own as they both quickly ascended through the floors. The woman had a strange blue glow emanating from the centre of her chest and for whatever reason it made her able to increase her speed.

Widowmaker flung herself through the fire exit door and let her grappling hook take her over and across to the next roof top. As roof tiles came loose she spun around just in time to see another flash of blue and she squeezed tight on the trigger. The young woman wailed and ducked quickly back behind the door. Widowmaker decided to use this time as another means to get away as she went into a full swan dive off the roof. On her way down she noticed a small commotion at the square where the speech was being held and knew that she had to act fast in order to complete the mission. She let herself fall through the air and again released her grappling hook to get too another rooftop concrete ledge nearby. Unfortunately this rooftop she had chosen was covered in armed guards.

"Merde." The word did the situation justice.

Widowmaker did not hesitate and used the air time to come down hard on the first guard sending him crashing to the floor. The second guard turned to face her and let out a spray of panicked bullets. She quickly tripped him by aiming her foot at his ankle as she ran past him. In another rain of bullets she ran and jumped onto a lower rooftop just underneath the building and hurdled over the top of a chimney. There were more guards this time but she was better prepared. She crushed the shoulders of a young guard who could have barely been twenty and drove him to the ground. Directly across from him was another guard who was too shocked to respond. Using her machine gun attachment she sent a volley of rounds into his chest. The third guard fired at her but she was faster, cutting him down and kicking him swiftly in the head. She alternated back into her rifle and shot two quick shots behind her, hoping it would deter anyone else stupid enough to try and stop her.

Widowmaker quickly activated her visor and found that Mondatta was quickly making headway through the crowd in the direction of a waiting vehicle. She could hear footsteps and quickly started moving towards another rooftop, as she looked behind her she found the young woman back again hot on her trail.

"You just don't quit do you." There was no time for the thought to become reality as she lined up her next leap over two older style houses.

Widowmaker was first to jump the gap near the clock tower and onto another concrete rooftop. With quick precision she laid a poison trap on the house's chimney behind her as she continued on ahead. The trap activated behind her and she could hear the Brit choking and coughing as the gas burned her lungs. There was a low thud and the sound of tumbling as the woman fell to the ground.

Widowmaker looked down at her and placed her boot on the woman's upper arm with force. She lined up the Brit's head with the barrel of her rifle and readied herself to fire. She could see the woman's face with clarity now. Her mind was thinking, churning the woman over and over in her mind.

"Such a sweet foolish girl." She didn't mean to say it aloud but the words slipped out before she could get a chance to stop herself. Unfortunately it was all the time the Brit needed before there was a moment of pause and then a bright blue light startled Widowmaker's eyes. The woman moved independently under her foot and back to where she had been only several seconds before.

"What's that?" The Brit threw down a smoke bomb which clouded Widowmaker's vision and left her in a haze. Widowmaker heard the woman let out a grunt as she threw something in her direction. That something much to her displeasure was a pulse bomb and it's hurried beeping quickly got her attention. Widowmaker shot it before it managed to get close enough to her and the resulting blast sent the Brit flying over the roof top. Widowmaker ran after her and threw herself into the air after the woman. As if the stars had somehow aligned she found herself to be in the perfect sight of the square. She waited only a brief second until the woman's blue device fell in front of Mondatta's head. Either way, she would be leaving tonight with a perfect kill. She held her breath as she fired and as expected the woman had changed her time to be out of the way of the shot. The bullet struck Mondatta perfectly between the eyes and the Omnic collapsed backwards into the waiting car. Widowmaker felt the rush and the euphoria that she drove for. It was still as good as it was the very first time she had killed. She positioned herself once more to land on another roof top and braced for impact. The impact was sudden but she landed on her feet.

"Mission complete. Mondatta is eliminated." Widowmaker called in to let Talon know she was ready for extraction.

She heard the blinking sound of the Brit and she suddenly appeared beside her. The young woman was clutching at the device on her chest and looking confused.

"Looks like the party is over." Cold, but that is what she did best. Widowmaker stayed staring at her while she tried to work out what she meant.

The Brit moved away from her and looked over the ledge and out into the square.

"No, no, no!" The young woman could not believe what had happened. Before Widowmaker had a chance to react the woman had tackled her to the ground in a blue dash of light which had sent them tumbling across the roof top. Widowmaker could feel her head hanging over the ledge and a breeze twirling at the tips of her hair. The woman felt hot against her cold skin as she laid straddled on top of her.

"WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?" The Brit was emotional, her eyes pleading at Widowmaker for an answer. The hot hands on her arms tightened their grip and she could feel the warmth radiate up her body but all she could do was look up at the woman. The woman that she seemed to know but had no recollection of. It was like a familiar smell that you could have sworn you knew what it was but you just couldn't put your finger on it. She was feeling something, something that wasn't euphoria. Something that she wasn't supposed to feel because she hadn't been able to feel in such a long time. It was frustration. There was a twist in her mind, a sudden change but she didn't know what it was or what it meant.

Widowmaker let out a soft laugh and looked directly into the saddened hazel globes in front of her. The Brit recoiled with shock. The moment didn't last long as the Talon plane hovered over the roof, flooding it with a bright white light. She felt the woman let go of her and took this as her chance to get out of this situation. She grabbed the woman by the shoulder and pulled her close to her.

"Adieu chérie." It was a shallow whisper into the Brit's ear before she flung them both over the rooftop backwards and slammed the woman into the brick wall. She felt the woman crumple and groan beneath her as she grapple-hooked her way back up to the waiting aircraft.

She don't know what compelled her but she waited until she saw the woman start to move again before getting onto the plane. There was something about that woman that was different.

"I see you havefinally met Tracer." A deep raspy voice came from the depths of the plane.

"Tracer, is that what they call her?" Widowmaker strapped herself into the nearest jump seat she could find.

"Yes. Annoying little brat, always was and always will be." A dark mist started to form in her line of sight as the man known only as Reaper positioned himself in the chair across of her.

She knew that she should be pleased about the successful mission that had just been completed but there was something about the woman that Widowmaker just couldn't shake.


	7. Chapter 7

Three weeks had passed since the night in Kings Row and Widowmaker had finally pushed Tracer out of her mind. Mondatta's death had sparked international outrage which was exactly what Talon had wanted. Violence broke out in the streets between humans and omnics with deaths and injuries being reported every day. Talon was very happy with her work and dedication to the cause that they had given her another assignment. Paired with Reaper, the two of them were to head over to Numbani where the Overwatch Museum was situated and retrieve Doomfist's gauntlet. The mission sounded straight forward and simple enough for the pair but Talon had listed the mission as high priority.

They did not waste time and hastily got all their equipment on the transport plane. Widowmaker gave a disinterested sigh as she clipped into her jump seat. The flight would not take too long but it gave her time to think of ways to get inside the Museum without drawing too much attention. She looked over the various photographs that the surveillance team had provided them. The Museum was located in the centre of Numbani which made it hard to be missed by the general public. The Museum however had large glass windows that allowed for natural light into its large show room. It was the ideal entry route in her eyes as it also happened to house what they were looking for. The Museum didn't get many visitors anymore since the shut down and disbandment of Overwatch years ago. The council of Numbani weren't even sure whether they should keep it open anymore.

"We should go for an aerial entry through the glass here. It will be fairly easy don't you agree?" Widowmaker wasn't even looking at Reaper but heard him let out a gravelly sigh of his own.

"Well it's not like we are going to walk through the front door." So very sarcastic.

Widowmaker let out a snort.

"No, I don't suppose we are." She let her head rest on the cold steel frame behind her. At least they were on the same page.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The landing was smooth and the pair arrived in under three hours as predicted. It was broad day light which added difficulty to the mission. It isn't hard to notice a blue woman and a shadow man walking around. The Talon jet had landed them on a run down and abandoned roof top on the outskirts of the city. From here they traveled across roof to roof with Reaper shadow stepping to follow her. As they got into closer proximity to the Museum, Widomaker stopped to scope out its location. She crouched low on the edge of the building three blocks away from the Museum's entrance. The wind was blowing over her gently, rustling her long pony-tailed hair across her back. She looked carefully down the scope of her rifle, assessing all entry and exit points in sight. As suspected there didn't seem to be a whole lot of activity happening out the front. The members of the public walked past the looming structure as if it was just another piece of scenery. Widowmaker activated her visor and saw that there were only two people inside the show room but they weren't just people, they were children.

"Well?" Reaper was starting to get impatient.

"Two inside the proximity of the gauntlet. Children." Widowmaker turned to look at Reaper. He was silent for a moment as if mulling the factor over.

"Death will walk among them. What are we waiting for?" The masked face tilted slightly to the left.

Widowmaker responded by grabbing onto the man and flinging them quickly across roof tops to reach the bright white roof top of the Museum.

"Warn me next time you are going to do that." A smirk appeared on Widowmaker's lips as Reaper stumbled, trying to regain his bearings.

Widowmaker looked over the edge and through the glass into the show room below. The two boys were right up next to the glass case that encapsulated Doomfist's gauntlet.

"We should enter through he-"

She was cut off abruptly by Reaper.

"MOVE NOW!" The man disappeared into dust as she heard the rapid shaking of the ground. She didn't even have a chance to react before a large ape came barrelling towards her and leaped for her. He grabbed her with both hands and they flew through the air, shattering the glass pane she was just looking through. They fell for what seemed like eternity before slamming into the ground below. The ape briefly lost his grip on her and that was enough for her to jump away with her machine gun and grappling hook prepared. She launched herself up and onto the ledge of the white staircase. Un-holstering her rifle, she took a few quick pot shots at the ape which struck his armour. He moved the two boys out of the way and tried once more to come after her but Reaper finally materialised himself as a distraction. Reaper fired shot after shot which forced the ape back and away from her position. Using her scope she was quickly able to get a visual on Doomfist's gauntlet just metres away.

"There you are." A slight murmur under her breath as she zoomed in a little closer. However a familiar blinking sound sent a shiver running down her spine.

"Oi, whatcha lookin' at?" The accent was heavy in her ear and Widowmaker moved into action, jumping back off the ledge and sending a spray of bullets Tracer's way.

"An annoyance." She ground out through clenched teeth as she sent her grappling hook flying to the roof as she made a graceful exit to the ground. The woman followed her every move with the bullets sparking around her. Tracer quickly threw herself behind an exhibit as she was now faced with both herself and Reaper. Meanwhile the ape threw himself into the air and let out a booming roar as he smashed his fist into the ground, shattering the paved floor and forcing the pair back. Reaper was not deterred still firing shot after shot into the ape.

"WINSTON!" A loud cry from Tracer echoed across the show room with the girl suddenly blinking into the ape's outstretched hand.

Winston threw her into the middle of the fray with her body twisting wildly through the air, spraying bullets in every direction.

"Die!" Reaper was fast in action, creating a frenzy of bullets and a cloud of smoke as he countered Tracer's attack with one of his own. Tracer once more ducked for cover and Widowmaker could hear rapid beeping coming from the device on the woman's chest.

"Now is not the time to get distracted. You have a job to do." But her chest had tightened as she tried to swallow a deep breath.

Widowmaker watched as Winston took into a running leap at Reaper but he fell into nothing but empty air as the man disappeared beneath him.

Winston fell hard and his glasses fell from his face and scattered across the floor. Taking this opportunity Widowmaker made her way to the glass case that surrounded the gauntlet. With one smooth movement she shattered the glass as shrill alarms went off in the distance. Just as she was about to grab the gauntlet a roar unlike anything she had ever heard pierced through the show room like thunder. She activated her visor to see a very, very angry Winston barrelling his way towards Reaper. The ape was quite literally glowing red and shaking with anger. She noticed the unmistakable blaze of blue light trailing behind him with bullets shooting past Reaper's figure. Widowmaker switched to her machine gun and provided covering fire for him, taking on two at once was going to be a challenge. When she turned back around she was greeted with her worst nightmare. The gauntlet that had been there just moments ago was now gone. She heard Reaper's body get smashed into the ground and Tracer let out a giggle but she was not about to leave the Museum empty handed.

"Surely it can't have gone too far." She took slow deliberate steps around the display.

"Watch out!" The younger of the two children yelled.

Widowmaker turned just in time to receive a full blast from Doomfist's gauntlet to her chest. The impact sent her hurtling through several glass displays and rolling across the floor.

She could feel her body protest as she forced herself to get up. Her legs were unsteady but she looked at the boy with determined eyes. Before she had the chance to react Winston was again on top of her. A trail of blue let her know that Winston wasn't alone and she let out a brief spray to get the woman away from her. Tracer could only giggle as none of her shots hit and she felt a sharp blow to her wrist as her rifle flew from her hands. Frustration overtook her once more as Tracer used her own weapon against her. She shot her grappling hook to what was left of the overhanging glass and felt herself accelerate away from them both. She could see Reaper following her and reached out to grab him.

They both landed outside with a thud and quickly formed into a sprint. Now that she was disarmed and Reaper low on ammo they knew that they had to get out of there quick. She could hear Reaper talking fast into their emergency communications system. Their jet was still refueling and it'd be at least ten minutes before it'd be on its way. The extraction point was back on the outskirts of Numbani where they had been dropped off and Widowmaker knew that they would be cutting it fine if they were chased the entire way.

"What did I say about doing that again?" Reaper was about a metre in front of her when they heard Winston's roar behind them.

"Take this as a warning." She shot her grappling hook upward onto the next building over and pulled Reaper with her once more. They both landed soundly and continued on their way to the extraction point. Reaper shadow stepped two roof tops in front of her. Unfortunately Widowmaker wasn't quick enough and before she could even take a breath she heard the familiar sound of her unwanted guest. Tracer had gained on her quickly using her ability to manipulate time to get to her faster than Winston. Tracer's foot connected with the back of her knee and sent her sprawling across the roof. The grappling hook had flown out of her grip and was resting just on the edge of the ledge of the concrete roof. Widowmaker had shut her eyes and prepared for another rain of bullets but it never came. The woman was standing above her and trying to catch her own breath. Her brown eyes shifted to stare deeply into Widowmaker's as if trying to read her mind.

Widowmaker got up and prepared herself to grab her grappling hook and run. She had made it all of two steps when Tracer stopped her dead in her tracks with two words.

"Amélie no!" Tracer had blinked in front of her and they were just inches apart.

"I don't know who that is." The hiss escaped her lips before her mind could even process what was happening. She wanted to run but yet she couldn't move, it felt like someone was holding her in place.

"Yes you do. You're Amélie Lacroix and you were married to Gérard Lacroix." The woman was defiant as she stood her own ground.

"I don't know who you are talking about." A wave of panic finally got her legs to cooperate. She took a step back to put some distance between them. Her mind was racing and her chest felt heavy, why did hearing these names have this effect?

"Your husband was working on the Slipstream project Amélie and you were there. Do you remember? I was the pilot chosen for that mission." Tracer reciprocated by taking a step towards her and again she took another step back. Widowmaker couldn't think but it was like she knew there was something there but in her mind she couldn't reach it.

"He died Amélie. Your husband died. Do you remember why?" Tracer took another step towards her once more closing the gap.

"Stop." Widowmaker threw her hands to her head and squeezed her eyes shut. Her head was throbbing and her mouth was suddenly dry.

"You killed him Amélie. You killed him while he was sleeping. You took a knife and you plunged it into his throat." The words sent a heavy weight crashing into her stomach.

"Stop! Stop calling me that!" She tightened her grip on her head, stressing the material of her visor until she could hear it cracking. Pin pricks of white were burning behind her eyes.

"Because he died Amélie, they rushed what was left of the Slipstream project. Because he died I was put into a jet that wasn't safe to fly and was considered dead for months because I simply disappeared into time. Because he died I now suffer a condition called Chronal Disassociation and have to wear this." Widowmaker could hear her tap the glowing blue device on her chest.

"Stop it!" She was shaking and her breaths were getting ragged.

"Or should we talk about how you shot Captain Amari in the face while Overwatch agents were trying to rescue hostages. Fareeha thought her mother was dead. Do you remember her?"

"I said stop!" Flashes of Gérard, Ana and a young Lena burst through into her mind. The immense amount of built up feelings spilling free almost crippled her. She felt the woman quickly grasp her arms and pull her towards her. What she didn't expect was to feel Tracer's burning lips upon her own. The intense warmth radiated through her mouth as she felt herself lean into the touch.

"What are you doing?!" Her mind was screaming at her.

It was all too much for her and she threw the woman back from her. She felt like she was moving in slow motion as she ran to pick up her grappling hook and quickly shot it at the next building over. She could see Reaper watching and could only guess that he had seen everything.

"Go on Amélie! Do what you always do and run away back to them! You can't run forever luv!" Tracer's voice chased after her as she launched herself building to building. It felt as if she had been set on fire, everything felt so raw and so painful that she didn't even realise that there were tears streaming down her face. She quickly brushed them away and landed clumsily next to Reaper.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" He grabbed her roughly and shoved her forward to encourage her to keep moving.

"It was nothing. She was just trying to get into my head." It was all she could say without admitting the truth. They rushed over the next few buildings while every now and again checking to make sure they weren't being followed.

"Spiders don't play with their food. Am I going to have to mention this to the Commander?" The very thought of it made her stomach turn.

"It isn't going to be an issue." She hoped that Reaper believed her more than she did.

"Be sure that it isn't."

And yet as they made their way back to the extraction point Widowmaker could still feel the burn that Tracer had left on her lips.


	8. Chapter 8

The return to Talon Headquarters was rather displeasing. She and Reaper were quickly ushered into a darkened meeting room upon arrival. In front of them sat the Commander and on either side of him were two stony faced gentleman from Talon Intelligence. There was only a slight ticking of the clock as they stood firmly together.  
“I’m sure you both understand quite well how Talon treats failure.” The Commander’s smooth voice seemed to surround them from every side. Widowmaker felt her back straighten at the sound.  
“But we understand that this time you did all you could.” He gestured at his Intelligence Officers to speak.  
“Unfortunately at fourteen hundred hours we received urgent intelligence that as of yesterday evening Codename Winston and Tracer had arrived in Numbani. We had sent Intelligence agents in to investigate but by the time we were trying to get this information to you, you had already been intercepted at the Museum.” The stocky man on the Commander’s left rustled through his notes.  
“It appears that after the incident involving you at Gibraltar Reaper that Overwatch has fully recalled all of its members and they are back in operation around the world.”  
Widowmaker heard Reaper shuffle uncomfortably and took her chance to speak.  
“If Overwatch is back in operation then I suggest a reconnaissance mission should take place in Russia. Since conflict is continuing in the area then it can be assured that Overwatch will be making plans to step in, if they haven’t already.”  
The Commander was still for a moment before he nodded slowly as he drummed his fingers on the marbled table.  
“Stevens, make plans to get that in order as soon as possible. I trust your judgement Widowmaker. Don’t make me regret doing so. As for you Reaper, you can return to Dorado and watch for any Overwatch activity that may start.” The man to the Commander’s right had grabbed at the pen in front of him and was making notes in a small diary.  
“Until such a time that things are ready you will find me in the training facility.”  
With that Widowmaker turned and left the meeting room, leaving Reaper standing in the shadows of the room.

The training facility was no stranger to Widowmaker. Just this year alone she had spent more than two hundred hours alone practicing her precision and today was no different. Talon’s training facility was state of the art. Accessing the area via swipe card at the doorway Widowmaker walked briskly into a small sized room. The room contained weapons lockers and benches that were used for briefing for group activities. To her right a female agent behind a desk sat behind a holographic computer screen and built in keyboard.  
“Would you like your usual Widowmaker?” The middle aged woman knew her well. She would often bend the rules slightly for her so she could train at any time of the day.  
“Merci, Agent Edwards.” Widowmaker smiled and gave a small nod.  
Edwards’ fingers moved briefly across her console. A deep vibration and a rumble could be heard as the training facility changed structures. It was the pride and joy of Talon’s engineering division. The training facility was designed and built to be diverse. It could change environment, platforms and structures in a moment’s notice to train their operatives to suit different condtions. The Commander had hailed it a massive success. A shrill beep was heard to alert them both that the facility was ready. Edwards opened the large metal blast proof doors and Widowmaker made her way inside. The facility itself was massive, covering at minimum an entire football field of space and at least five storey’s high. Widowmaker was facing the back of one of the buildings a quickly grappling hooked her way up to the top of the roof. It was dark and that was the way she liked it, it gave her more use of her heat seeking visor. The room wasn’t completely pitch black with Widowmaker still being able to see ledges and balconies from the structures in front of her. She remained perched on the eave of the tiled rooftop as she readied her rifle on her shoulder. Gazing through the sleek long-ranged scope she could see her targets. The training bots were automated to move on their own accord as tracked by the training set up simulation. Humanlike in figure and made to fit many different sizes these bots were the perfect tool for practice. The bots had a built in heating element which made for effective use of Widowmaker’s visor and they self-repaired making any need for clean-up non-existent. She steadied herself and inhaled deeply as she lined her first target up in her sights. In a quick pull of the trigger, a roaring clap resounded through the room and the bot fell with a thud to the ground.  
“Good but you can do better.” Her mind was just repeating what she already knew.  
With a smooth flick of her wrist Widowmaker had cast herself into the air with her grappling hook. Her rifle still locked to her shoulder and her eye focused down the sights she took her next shot mid-air. Two bots roughly fifty meters apart dropped suddenly to the floor as Widowmaker came to a graceful landing on a balcony opposite to the roof top she was just perched on.  
“Magnifique.” A small smirk forming in the corners of her mouth.  
A few moments passed before the slight whirring noise of the bots could be heard as the bots powered back up. She let her breath escape her lips as she took pause for a minute and she could feel the events of the last twelve hours niggling at the back of her mind.  
She kneeled down on the grey solid surface of the roof top and raised the rifle to her shoulder once more. A bot was moving steadily down the makeshift street while another bot was walking in the opposite direction.  
“Gérard.” Her mind spoke the name as she was taking aim. Without pause Widowmaker took the shot and the head of the bot snapped back abruptly before falling to the ground. She simply could not remember enough about the man she once loved. She could see short snippets of him in the part of her mind that had been awakened. Her brow furrowed in what she could only imagine disappointment felt like.

She quickly focused on the other bot moving away from her. The bot was not moving in a straight line and was zig zagging unpredictably, it was a good thing that Widowmaker liked a challenge.  
“And what about Overwatch?”  
She waited until the bot had just finished its last zig-zag before letting loose with the shot. Another resounding thud let her know that she had been successful. She ran down the length of the roof top and quickly fired the grappling hook into the concrete ledge. She wrapped some of the cable around her calf and let her herself descend down the building. She let herself hang for a few moments while she steadied herself. Whether or not Overwatch was out to do good after all she could not tell. She had always been told that Overwatch was just causing harm and that’s why they were shut down in the first place. But there was something about the people she had been sent to kill that made her think twice. 

She was hanging directly in front of a T intersection and was staring directly down a long pathway between two buildings. The rifle was a dead weight in her arms as she pulled the weapon to up to her shoulder. The cable swayed briefly and Widowmaker let it stabilise once more before she placed her eye over the scope. She saw only emptiness in the one and a half meter gap between the two buildings. A soft click snapped in her ear as she activated her visor. The red glow of a moving object quickly filled her vision as she lined up her scope and waited, almost daring the bot to travel down her line of sight. The bot edged closer at a rate that even Widowmaker thought was cruelly slow but she was not going to get impatient. Sometimes good things come to those who can wait.  
She took a shallow breath as the bot entered her field of view in only a second the bot would be down the middle of her scope. She had her finger at the trigger and was just about to pull when her mind spat a name that made her lose her concentration.  
“-Lena Oxton.”  
She fired but the damage had been done as the bullet drove itself into the sleek black wall at the end of the training facility.  
A problem presented itself that had never been an issue before. She had choked.  
Widowmaker let herself drop to the floor and threw down her rifle in disdain.  
“Je m’on fous.” She said it as if she was trying to reassure herself but she knew it wasn’t the truth. From their first encounter over a month ago she never could have seen herself being in the position now.  
“Why do you care?”  
Widowmaker bent over to pick up her rife and dusted off the chipped paint that had come loose from its impact on the floor. She had nothing to answer that with but more questions. Could it be that it was because Lena had caused some of her memories to come back? Was it because she had been the cause of Lena’s condition and she was feeling guilty? Perhaps it had been because Lena had forcibly kissed her during her break from conditioning? Why did Lena kiss her? It all hurt her head to think about.

Widowmaker fired her grappling hook back at the building behind her and stood on the edge as she overlooked the training facility. There were too many questions and it was time for her to get some answers. It was time to take control.


End file.
